People, Places, and Things: 1-30-15

Councilors scouring closets to help homelessLynn City Councilor at large and state Rep. Brendan Crighton’s colleagues have generously responded to his efforts to gather “gently used business attire” for individuals working to leave homelessness behind them and gain self-sufficiency.Council aide Terry Young said Crighton urged colleagues during the Jan. 13 council meeting to donate to Cambridge-based Solutions At Work’s clothing drive. Suits and other clothing items are piling up on a rack in a corner of Council President Daniel Cahill’s office.”He (Crighton) got the idea from a State House clothing drive that did very well. A lot of councilors have donated,” Young said.Young said clothing donations will be accepted in the council office, City Hall room 408, through Feb. 14.Blizzard big – but not Afghanistan bigFormer Afghan natives Ali Ahmad and Abdul Ouddos and Lynn residents laughed and slid on their feet through Central Square during the height of Tuesday’s blizzard as they braved downtown’s snowbound streets in search of anyone who needed their walks shoveled. The pair said the snowstorm compared modestly to winters in their homeland.”In Afghanistan, we get much more snow,” Ahmad said.Revere High School Snow Angels shovel out 36 residentsJunior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Patriot Battalion cadets shoveled out 36 Revere residents’ walks and driveways on Wednesday. The 74 high school students won praise and thanks from Mayor Daniel Rizzo and Revere High Principal Lourenco Garcia.”As usual, our Snow Angels’ job performance was beyond reproach; they embraced the cause by supporting all those in need with caring and maximum precision,” Garcia stated.Even as the cleanup from Tuesday’s blizzard continues, the cadets are gearing up to shovel following storms forecast for today and Sunday.